Salvage buoy



0d; 2a 1934 v15.1. ROMANOl f 1,975,333

SALVAGE BUOY Fi1ed oct. 12; 19:51 2 sheets-smet 1 IF lgl E @gelzer/13012267170 Patented ct. 2, 1934 STS reisst-3 cerro 6 Claims.

My invention relates to buoys intended for salvaging sunken vessels, and is of that type of which a considerable number are attached by lifta ing lines to the vessel while the buoys are submerged, air being subsequently forced into the buoys to displace thewater therein through a normally open port in the bottom, to render the buoys buoyant.

l Such buoys in use are subjected to swaying 10"; motions and to tilting, and this is particularly true as they lie at or approach the surface, and during such movement buoys open at the bottom are likely to lose air, and in consequence to become less buoyant, so that it is difcult to cause the l5 buoys to bring a sunken ship all the way to the surface, or to retain it there for any length of time. It is anobject of my invention to provide such a buoy normally freely open at its bottom, Abut so formed thatair can be lost from itsV in- 'Yterior only with diculty, even under pronounced swaying movement.

vTo aid in moving such buoys from place to place, it is desirable that they be enabled to float upon 2 thesurfaca and it is an object of my invention vto provide gravity-controlled means associated with such buoys, whereby when in a horizontal floating position (the water having been previously expelled) the normally open port will be kept closed to keep out the wash of sea water, and preferably one' which also is gravity-controlled to open when the buoy is brought to its vertical or lifting position.

It is desirable in the use of such buoys that the attendant on the salvage vessel at the surface how nearly each buoy is approaching its maximum buoyance. It is therefore anobject of my invention to provide a means, automatically operable,

distribute the same, and in addition to design such Y internal bracing means in a form which will permit cranes upon the salvage vessel to assist the lifting effect of the buoys by a line from above attached to the buoy, and which will transmit such lifting effort to the lifting lines attached to the vessel itself, without strain on the buoy itself.

know how much water remains in each buoy, and' These and other objects will be best ascertained from astudy of the accompanying drawingsand of this specification and the claims. I

In the accompanying drawings I have shown' my invention in a form which is at present preferredY 6U' by me, and have so described it in the present specication, whereof Ythe claims particularly," point out that which I lbelieve to be my invention.-

Figure l is an elevation of a buoy floating in towing position.

Figure 2 is an elevation, with parts broken away, of a buoy tilted from lifting position.

Figure 3 is an axial sectional view of a buoy in lifting position.

Figure 4 is a diagram of the electrical indicator circuits. l

While the buoy 1 is a vessel which may take substantially any form, it should have greater length than breadth, so thatit will tend to rise in a given upright position, or when floating free on the surface it will assume a horizontal position. It may conveniently be made cylindrical, as shown herein, having the top 10 and the bottom` 11. Its bottom is provided with an open port 12'admitting to the interior, and a' neck 2'is secured to the bottom 1l, providing an extension below the bottom, whereby the actual entrance to theinterior is at thelower end 22 ofthe neck.; The purpose of this is seen in Figure 2, wherein they buoy is shown in atilted position,'for even in such position the air will not escape from the interior Y ofthe buoy through the opening 22, but will re;

Y main trapped within the neck.

To displace the water with which the buoy isl filled to sink it, an air hose?, may be attached by .90

a suitable fitting 13, preferably at the top ofthe i tank. Ther air hose, as it will be understood, extends to the surface, where it is connected to any suitable source of air underpressure (not shown); If the bottom' 11 is coned downwardly, as I prefer, all the water will be expelled, though the buoi7 be tilted. YTorcontrol the buoy in its descent, and..

under some circumstances to assist in' lifting it, 1 there may bev attached to its top 10p meansA such as the ring ,14 for the attachmentof a liftingline 4, likewise extending to the salvage'vessel at the surface. v j

At the bottom of the buoy are means `for secure.,` ing lifting lines 5, andsuch means may take theI l form of rings 15,'two of which are shown arranged in 'crossed form and secured at 16 tothe neck 2.

In order to brace the buoy internally, and in addition, to transmit lifting effort from the eye 14 to the rings 15, to transmit the straight lifting effort centered at the rings 15 to all parts of the are preferably connected through the head 10 to the eye 14, the same rivet 62 being employed to secure both members to the head, and at the bottom the braces 6 are connected directly to the rings through the neck 2 by employing the same rivets 16 as support the rings. Stresses are thus transmitted from the eye 14 to the rings 15 without passing through the buoy itself, and the f lifting effort of the buoy is thus distributed. by the internal bracing to all parts of the buoy rather than centered at the neck alone. ThisV enables parts to be made lighter, yet without materially decreasing the buoyance of the buoy, or reducing its strength. a

Within the neck 2,-that is, within the port or passage which admits to the interior of the buoy through the bottomprovide a valve 7, preferably of the buttery type, pivoted at "i0 upon a ring 71, which forms a seat therefor'.y Externally of the neck there is an arm 78, connected to the Valve, to which is secured a counterweight '72 by means of which the valve 7 is maintained nor mally in a vertical plane. Now whenthe buoy is upright, the valve '7 being likewise upright, will not close the passage, as will bc observed in Figjure 3, butif the buoy, being empty of water, is

placed upon the surface, it will assume a horizontal position, in which casefthe valve 7, remaining upright, will close the neck 2 to passage of water therethrough. This position may be observed in Figure l, and in this position the buoy can be towed by a line 44 attached to the eye 14, from one location to another. Naturally, means may be provided to additionally seal the opening at such times. Unless means are provided to prevent it,

`the valve will assume an open position when the buoy is drawn upright, and when in this position will freely admit passage of water or air through the neck 2.

I prefer `that the buoy be provided with means for indicating while submerged to the attendant upon the salvage vessel the depth of water within the buoy itself,-that is to say, the location of the water level within the interior of the buoy. Such means may take various forms. As an ex ample, it may be in the form of a float 8 guided for movement longitudinally of the float, as for instance upon the rod 89. Such a float is shown provided with a contact member 81, and there are positioned adjacent the path of movement of this Contact member, complemental contacts 82 and A83 connected in the respective lines 84 and 85, ex-

tending through the conduit 87, attached at 88 to the buoy, and these lines in turn are connected to the individual indicators 86, which are located upon the 4salvage vessel.

As the water level within the buoy drops (the water being expelled Vby air entering through the hose 13 and passing out through the open neck 2) the float 8 drops, and asit drops, they contact 81 in turn Vcloses the circuits including the spaced contacts 82 and 83, in order from the top downward, and these circuits being closed cause the iexible therebelow.

corresponding indicator lights 86 to be illuminatthe progress of the water level downwardly, and

yfrom experience, or by calibrations, can know the amount of lifting effect which each buoy, and which all of the several buoys, exert at any given period. To protect the contacts, .they may be coated with a suitable resistant coating, which will not prevent the passage of the electricity, but will preventthe contacts from corroding.

Except as required for the support of the valve '7 or for the securement of the lifting lines and bracing, the neck 2 may be flexible. It may be rigd'at its upper end, adjacent the buoy, and If made flexible wholly or in part, it may be of such length that, once water is expelled, the interior of the'buoy will be effectively water-sealed against accidental entrance of water, or sloshing thereinto.

Themanner of use of my'buoy will be clear, and the apparatus and system for connecting and controlling the same forms the subject matter of a companion application, led herewith, anu is described in detail therein.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A salvage buoy comprising a vessel of greater longitudinal extentthan breadth, having a normally open port at one end, and gravity-controlled means to close said port when the vesselis disposed horizontally, as in floating upon the surface.

2. A salvage buoy of greater longitudinal extent than breadth, having a normally open port at one end, and gravity-controlled means to close said port when the vessel is disposed horizontally, as in floating upon the surface, and to open said port when the vessel is upright, as in lifting.

3. A salvage buoy of substantially cylindrical form having a restrict-ed neck coaxial with and projecting below its bottom, said neck being normally open to afford access to the interior of the buoy, a valve of the butterfly type disposed in said neck, and a weighted arm operatively connected therewith to'close said neck when the buoy is horirontal, and to open the same when the buoy is upright.

4. A salvage buoy of substantially cylindrical form and of greater longitudinal extent than breadth, having an open port in its bottom, means for attaching lifting lines to the bottom of the buoy, means axially aligned with the rst'means for attaching towing and lifting lines to its top, and internal bracing means connecting theV two attaching means.

5. A salvage buoy of substantially cylindrical form and of greater longitudinal extent than breadth, having an open port in its bottom, means for attaching lifting lines to its bottom, means axially aligned with the rst means for attaching towing lines to its top, and internal bracing means connecting the two attaching means, and reinforcing the intermediate portion of the buoy ythe water therein, internal bracing connecting the top' and sides of Athe buoy to the neck, and rings for the connection of lifting lines connected externally of the neck, Vand to the internal.

bracing.

' EUGENE J. ROMANO. 

